Minutes
Printable Version
Summary of
Alliance for a Better Columbia (ABC)
Board of Directors Meeting
May 27, 2009
The following others and other members of the Board of Directors were elected to one-year terms by acclamation, given that the number of nominations submitted by the Nominations Committee equaled the number of openings, and that there were no nominations from the floor:
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President: |
Joel Yesley |
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Vice President: |
Barry Blyveis |
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Treasurer: |
Thomas Scott |
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Secretary: |
TBD |
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At-large members of the Board: |
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Joel Pearlman |
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Tom Laufer |
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Ginger Scott |
There was a general discussion of the potential significance of the change in the CEO of CA as well as the substantial turnover in CA Board members as a result of the recent election. There was general agreement that ABC should continue without let-up its campaign to induce the organization to be more transparent with information, given some uncertainty regarding the strength of the commitment of the board and top CA administrators to this publicly pronounced goal. The board agreed to seek a meeting with the new president as soon as mutually convenient and present him with specific recommendations for taking action.
Another topic of discussion was data pertaining to the use of take-home vehicles by CA staff members which a couple of ABC Board members had reviewed earlier in the month. It appears that staff members had not been required to maintain mileage logs for these vehicles prior to October of last year. Instead, an algorithm was used to determine the amount of personal and business-related travel by staff members, which would not allow for much variation among the vehicles involved. Perhaps in response to ABC’s request for info of this kind which goes back to May of last year, CA instituted record-keeping procedures by individual vehicle last October. A review of the mileage logs of the 12 vehicles involved in this program for the Oct.-Dec. 2008 period revealed a wide range of variation in the amount of personal travel. In fact, some staff members used these cars 3 to 4 times as much for personal reasons as for business purposes. The Board agreed to seek information pertaining to fuel and other maintenance costs for vehicles with highest ratios of personal to business use.
The last topic of discussion was the CA Whistleblower Policy. Doubts were expressed regarding the commitment of the organization to enforcing this policy, which was designed to encourage staff members to report any violations of company policy by fellow employees or managers. There was some concern that information pointing to questionable actions by some managers may not be receiving sufficient attention from the responsible in-house authority, unknown to the CA Board. The ABC Board indicated a desire to learn more about this policy.
The next meeting of the board is scheduled for July 7 at 7:30 PM at the East Columbia Library Branch.
About the Alliance for a Better Columbia. . .
Printable Version
A better Columbia is the goal of us all. But, as individuals acting alone, it’s usually hard to persuade the powers-that-be to make the changes that are necessary.
That’s why a group of concerned Columbia residents founded the Alliance for a Better Columbia (ABC) back in 1987. They saw the need for an independent grass-roots organization that could make a difference on issues that residents care the most about. Since then, many people have joined ABC to work together and serve as a strong voice for the residents of Columbia.
The mission of ABC, as a citizens organization, is to:
- Listen to the community and understand residents’ desires and concerns.
- Track issues affecting Columbia’s residents, especially those issues that involve Columbia Association management and Columbia Council/CA Board of Directors policies, actions, and public statements.
- Inform people about Columbia issues and decisions, serve as an advocate for Columbia residents’ priorities, interests, and concerns, and make appropriate recommendations for action to achieve a better community.
Through the years, most of ABC’s attention has focused on making CA more responsive to residents’ needs. We’ve made some good headway through the years, particularly when some of our members and supporters were elected to serve on CA’s governing body, the Columbia Council. However, there remains widespread concern about the way CA currently operates, which means that ABC’s efforts are needed now more than ever.
Looking forward, ABC will be recommending ways to make CA’s facilities and programs more affordable, opposing any attempts to close or convert our neighborhood pools, pressing for reforms in Columbia’s governance structure, and tackling any other Columbia-related issues that you and other residents feel are important.
We appreciate your interest and hope that you will choose ABC as the civic organization that you will support this year. Please press the “JOIN US” button on our home page and do your part in making a better Columbia.
Commentary
Over the past 21 years, many ABC members have stepped forward as candidates in
Columbia Council elections. And, this year was no exception. Our ABC President, Alex
Hekimian, decided to throw his hat in the ring in Oakland Mills, and in a close race he
won!
There were contested elections for Columbia Council in four villages this year, and here
are the latest vote tallies:
| Oakland Mills |
Alex Hekimian |
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270 |
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Phil Engelke |
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262 |
| Harper’s Choice |
Cindy Coyle |
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315 |
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Lynda Maxwell |
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200 |
| Wilde Lake |
Phil Kirsch |
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260 |
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Linda Odum |
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225 |
| Town Center |
Suzanne Waller |
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134 |
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Steve Meskin |
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121 |
While we savor our victories, we know that the composition of the Columbia Council/CA
Board of Directors is still not what it should be, and that our work on behalf of Columbia’s
residents is needed now more than ever. In that vein, we ask each of you to continue to
support ABC’s efforts by continuing your membership. Also, since we have a lot of
talented and knowledgeable people in ABC, we would appreciate your stepping forward
and helping in any way you can in the work of our organization.
In advance of our upcoming meeting, we are enclosing a nomination form for members
who wish to serve on our Board of Directors in the upcoming year. You may fill out the
form and bring it to the May 5 meeting. We look forward to another exciting year!
So many of our dreams at first seem impossible,
then they seem improbable, and then,
when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
Christopher Reeve
Join Us
Printable Version
Columbia residents have a highly effective citizens organization, the Alliance for a Better Columbia. And, here is an opportunity to try us out.
We offer you a trial membership for 6 months for only $5. It’s a good way for you to see how we handle issues that Columbia’s residents care a lot about.
Looking forward, ABC will be pressing for some initiatives to reform Columbia’s governance structure, opposing any attempts to close or convert our neighborhood pools, recommending ways to make CA’s recreational facilities more affordable, and tackling any other Columbia-related issues that you and our other members feel are important.
We welcome your participation in ABC, so please send us this form with your check payable to:
Alliance for a Better Columbia, P.O. Box 735, Columbia, MD 21045
Thank you.
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Yes, I want to accept your trial offer of a 6-month membership in ABC |
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Talent Search
Do you have skill and experience that you would want to share with us,
in the following areas?
- Art or graphic design
- Writing
- Legal
- Accounting
Related Links
The Columbia Association, Columbia, Maryland
Columbia's Village Associations, Howard County, Maryland
Howard County, Maryland, Government Services
The Baltimore Sun, Howard County, Online Newspaper
The Columbia Flier, Howard County, Online Newspaper
The Washington Post, Howard County, Online Newspaper
The Baltimore Examiner, Howard County, Online Newspaper
Contact Us
| ABC President |
Email |
President@ABetterColumbia.org |
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Snail Mail |
President, Alliance for a Better Columbia
P.O. Box 735
Columbia, MD 21045
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| Board of Directors |
President |
Joel Yesley
11604 Lakewater Ln.
Columbia, MD 21044
410-730-0428
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Vice-President |
Barry Blyveis
6392 Wishing Bridge
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-3734
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Treasurer |
Tom Scott
5070 Whetstone Rd.
Columbia, MD 21044
410-997-0572
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Secretary |
Open
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Tom Laufer
6252 Kind Rain
Columbia, MD 21045
410-997-0694
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Ginger Scott
5070 Whetstone Rd.
Columbia, MD 21044
410-997-0572
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Joel Pearlman
9410 Book Row
Columbia, MD 21046
301-498-3190
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| ABC Webmaster |
Email |
WebMaster@ABetterColumbia.org |
